I just acquired a mint condition BG 6500.  But it's dead as a doornail - it won't power up.  Will someone please tell me that it's probably just a fuse, and that I can easily replace it myself?  If it's the power supply, what might this cost to repair?

Thanks in advance.

Well it will be more than a fuse - even if it has a blown fuse, what caused it? However it could be a cracked solder joint or loose wire. The 6500 is not as complicated as the early tangentials and a bit of electrical detective work should find the problem.

I bought it from someone locally.  When he delivered it we found it dead so he gave it to me.   He apparently hadn't used it in a long while.   That's all I know.

Assuming that the electrics are good (which they usually are), this entire series suffers from one MAJOR mechanical fault, which is easily repaired with patience.

Open up the BG, and look at the solenoid in the middle of the main PCB.

Carefully disassemble the solenoid, and pull out the piston inside the solenoid.

Before doing anything else, mark one end of the magnet for polarity and orientation.

You will probably find that the plastic housing, in which the magnet lays, is cracked, causing friction inside the solenoid tunnel, therefore the BG appears dead.

Discard the plastic bed in the middle, and glue the 2 plastic ends to the magnet with 24-hour, slow-set epoxy. While the glue sets, make sure that the piston is setting in an absolutely straight line.

Spray silicone-spray inside the tunnel, and wipe off the wet residue with a tissue.

Spray the magnet with the same spray, and wipe off.

Reassemble your BG, and so it will come to life!

Menahem

Thanks for your reply Menahem.  But I shipped my Beogram out to Atlantic Systems for repair today before I read your post.  Not that I would have been able to perform a repair such as that anyway.  The only thing I was able to do was test the fuse, which was fine.

I am indeed surprised to hear that it was not the fuse on the power supply.

I have had any number of these decks with this fuse blown. Usually due to overagressive use of a record duster of some description.

If you stall the motor for any lenth of time then the fuse blows!